Forever In My Heart
by ChapinaYuli23
Summary: Quall. AU. One tragic day, Squall Leonhart and Quistis Trepe meet on unfortunate circumstances on the streets of New York. Something within each of them is stirred, yet they walk away, thinking they would never meet again. Little did they know...
1. Forever In My Heart

_**Forever in my Heart**_

By…

chapinayuli23

Hiyo! I'm chapinayuli23, and this is my first fanfic. I have been writing stories ever since my first scribble, and I have written many stories. Even tho I've never written a fanfic before, I have read a few hundred fanfics, so I have a good idea of what to do. I'm also VERRRRRRRRRRRRRY imaginative, so expect the unexpected! I also love using dramatic story twists that change the entire story and cliffhangers are my friends. I don't mind flames as long as they have a POINT! O ya, and point out ANY mistakes I make, and I will fix 'em! You guys are probably tired of listening to my babbling, so without further ado, I present to you… 'Forever in my Heart.'

**Summary**

Quall. AU. One tragic day, Squall Leonhart and Quistis Trepe meet on unfortunate circumstances on the streets of New York. Something within each of them is stirred, yet they walk away, thinking they would never meet again. Little did they know they would meet each other again. And again. And again. It seems the forces of nature will do anything for them to be together. However, the only problem is that they are both going out with someone already! Will they EVER get together?

(A/N: crappy summary. I no.)

* * *

**Chapter One- A Frantic First Day**

It was early morning, and the sun was just rising over the many skyscrapers that decorated New York City. It was the first day of spring, yet there was still a slight chill in the air, left over from the snowy winter. A thin layer of frost still blanketed the city, enhancing its radiant beauty.

Squall Leonhart was the only one who did not think so. He cursed as he slipped, catching himself before he would make a fool of himself. He stopped himself from falling, but the folder that he held in his arm suddenly dropped, and all his lesson plans scattered across the sidewalk. Most pedestrians ignored him, even walked over his plans. He cursed yet again, and knelt down and slowly gathered his papers.

From the corner of his eye, he saw someone kneel down before him and help pick up his papers. Looking up slowly, he looked into the delicate face of his girlfriend. Her eyes sparkled and her smile seemed heavenly. Her porcelain skin glowed in the dim sunlight, and her silky raven hair swayed in the wind.

"Having trouble on your way to work?" Rinoa beamed up at Squall's face as they both stood up. His lips turned at the corners for a brief moment, which quickly turned into a grimace. Handing him the papers, Rinoa gave him a soft peck on his cheek. "Don't worry so much Squall. The students won't bite. Remember, you were one of them last year."

He continued to frown, but he knew he couldn't stay upset for long. Not when he was with Rinoa. When they were together, everything seemed to be okay. "It's not that… It's just…" he impatiently pushed the hair out of his face. "I feel old," he smiled at the giggly Rinoa. They smiled warmly at each other for a second. "What brings you out here so early, Rinoa? I would have expected you to sleep in until noon."

Rinoa grinned slyly. "You, mister, are not the only one on their way to their first day of work. I landed a job at the Corner Street Café. My second cousin that works there helped me in," she seemed quite proud of herself. "Hey, I'm going to be late if I don't leave right now," she said, glancing at her small silver watch. "I'll catch you later Squall!"

She gave him a quick hard kiss, before she ran down the street, dodging people left and right. "See ya!" he yelled back, a grin spreading over his face, despite his repeated attempts to remain solemn. He couldn't help it. Whenever they touched or kissed, his adrenaline would rush, and he would temporarily act a bit goofy. Regaining his composure, he straightened his spine and walked on.

* * *

Quistis Trepe slammed the car door loudly. Pushing the chore of putting gas in the car on the bottom of her list of things to do had proven to be a very bad idea. She couldn't take the car now… walking almost 4 miles to get to work didn't make her any happier. She was late as is. Huffing her discontent, she placed her car keys back into her cramped purse. She looked down her quiet street, which coincidentally ran into a busy street in disgust. The more she waited, the later she would be. She started running as fast as was possible in her stilettos.

A half hour later, she was not running as fast as she was before. In fact, she was walking. Her legs hurt, her ankles sore, and her mood was black. There were only a few more blocks left, but they seemed to stretch on and on. She had even considered taking off her tall shoes to continue walking and to lift a weight off her feet, but she could not bare the stares of nosey people. As far as anyone knew, Quistis was as perfect as could be. Or at least she tried very hard to be.

Luckily, she was on her last block. All she had to do was to turn around the corner, and she would be in front of the Corner Street Café. Just a half block more… Just a few steps more. Just a single step-the next thing she knew, her face was smack in the middle of a very masculine chest. Her vision was filled with the white of his shirt, her smell was corrupted by the strong smell of cologne, and she heard the slight gasp of the other person.

She could feel her heel break, and her ankle twist. She fell quickly, but strong arms wrapped around the small of her back, and she was pulled back up again, meeting nose-to-nose with the hottest guy she had ever seen. His steel eyes penetrated through her, as if he knew everything about her; all her lies; all her scandals; all her hidden secrets. Her face flushed profusely, and the blush spread down her neck and to the tips of her ears. The awkward moment was interrupted when he loosed his hold on her. He moved back, as if startled, and for the first time, she could see his entire face. He had muddy brown, floppy hair, which seemed flawless; the kind of hair every woman wants to run her fingers through. He seemed to have a permanent frown on his face, but his lips were so luscious and inviting, she couldn't help but stare at them.

He cleared his throat loudly. Her already crimson face flushed even more, if that were possible. She noticed she still had a tight grip on his forearms, which she hoped he would think it were only because of her shock. Letting him go, she leaned down and took her sandal off and picked up the broken heel. Her ankle was reddened, but this mysterious man had saved her from a twisted ankle.

"I-I'm sorry," she stuttered, as soon as she was able to speak. His ears turned lightly pink and his face seemed troubled. God, he was so hot. Wincing, she shook the perverse thoughts from her mind. She took a peek at that perfect face. His eyes, which had seemed so soft and sympathetic a moment ago, now hardened and he grimaced at her.

"Next time, watch where you're going," he simply said, and brushed past her and continued to walk. Her face was frozen in shock. Why that insolent, rude man… She turned and spat in the direction of his retreating back, hoping that her glare could kill. The loud chiming of the nearby clock tower broke her thoughts. Oh shit! It was already 7:30! Turning back in the direction of the Corner Street Café, she took off her other shoe, leveled her shoulders, and strode proudly into the café.

* * *

Hmmm... suspicious, suspicious. If you didn't catch the 'hint', you should look for it.evil cackle How was that for a first chapter? I hope that was a good start! I need more ideas on this fanfic! Pweaze? I have a few tricks up my sleeves… evil cackle lol! I need also need reviews! But if you don't, then that's ok. I'm not one of those grouchy people that threaten you and ask for a number of reviews so they can put up a chapter. Lol, I'm just playing! Anyways… I'm going on a long trip tomorrow, so I might not update for about a month (surprisingly, that's a quick update for a lot of people), but when I do come back, I will have a number of chapters for your needs! Yay! I'm love traveling. Wish me luck!

Lots of Love

ChapinaYuli23


	2. A Big Impact

Ok, I'm back! It's been over a month already, I know! Sorry about that. I tried to update sooner, but I had to go back to school and to my regular schedule :(. Sucks, I know. Ok, I'm going to give thanks to everyone who reviewed. **Wipes tears from her eyes. **I love you guys!

Cailin Skylark: Thank you! I tried VERY hard to update quickly.

Josefiine: Thanks, I'll try, but I need help!

GothicAngelEyeS: lol, thanks for the ideas, and yes, I'll let you hate Rinoa. (I don't really like her all that much either. I never like the lead characters to be together.) Oh, and thanks for inviting me! I feel special. Please do me a favor and update Starting Over! It's been forever! Lol

Thanks you guys, it's for you I write this story! **Cue sappy music **Ok, and I forgot to the last chapter but…

Disclaimer: I do not own ANY characters from FFVIII or any of the other FFs, but that can't stop me from wishing! Hah, take that, stupid lawyers!

* * *

Chapter Two: A Big Impact

Quistis fumed to herself silently. All day she had been snapping at customers and arguing with her coworkers. It had been a long, stressful day, and she was more than ready to head on home. The encounter with the mysterious man that morning made her even angrier. How could she have let her guard down? She was NOT an infatuated little girl.

Besides, she already had a boyfriend, Seifer Almasy. Yes, THE Seifer Almasy, the actor who all women worshipped. He was her pride and joy, and he was the reason she carried herself so well. Without him, she felt like she was a nothing, that she had nothing. How could she be so weak?

Grimacing, she slammed the cash register tray shut, causing the customer in front of her to wince.

"Have a nice day," she growled, gritting her teeth.

Before she had even finished speaking, the young girl of about fourteen ran away to the table furthest away from the fuming blonde. A small, porcelain hand clasped Quistis' shoulder gently, a tinkling laugh accompanying it.

"Quisty, you need to stop scaring the customers," a small, heart-shaped face visualized from behind Quistis' shoulder. Quistis couldn't help but smile at the klutz that was known as Rinoa.

"Tell me, what's wrong?" Rinoa grew serious, but the twinkle remained in her eye.

"Nothing, just having a bad day," Quistis gave the younger woman a small smile, hoping that she would just go away.

"Don't tell me that! There is something mysterious about you today, and I want to know what!"

Rinoa had on a determined face, and Quistis knew she wasn't going to get away. Rinoa whistled sharply and signaled for a bouncy brunette to come and take Quistis' place. Quistis could do nothing as Rinoa clutched her arm and yanked her into the back storeroom.

"Okay, tell me what happened," Quistis knew she was cornered in and just decided to give in.

"Well… today, actually this morning, I met this guy," Rinoa's dark eyes widened as she gave a small squeal. (A/N: reminds you of a pig doesn't she?) Quistis knew immediately she should have kept her mouth shut.

"Oh my god! What's his name? How does he look? Are you guys going out yet? Wait, what about Seifer?" Rinoa tried to squeeze as many questions as she could into one breath and was left gasping for air.

Quistis rolled her eyes, but answered her the questions obediently.

"Look, I didn't mean it to sound like that. What I meant is that this morning, I was late to work and my car didn't work, so I had to walk to work. On the way I ran into a guy, that's all I wanted to say. Nothing more, nothing less."

Rinoa had on a disappointed face, but she brightened up as she said, "That's why you broke your heel!" (A/N: Rinoa is extremely intelligent, as you can see.)

"Yes, that's why I broke my heel."

"Yeah, besides all that, was he hot?" Quistis blushed at the memory of steel eyes; his warmth; his breath on her skin.

Rinoa thought that was a good enough answer.

Squall fumbled his papers and cursed as they scattered onto the floor beside his desk. He cursed once again. Lately he had been cursing even more than usual, and his normally cool exterior was awkward and embarrassed. Where did this behavior come from? It had started today… This morning.

A picture of ocean blue eyes flashed through his mind.

Not her.

Not that woman.

He couldn't possibly be acting this way, just because of that curious woman. Of course, she did have a certain air of confidence and her drop dead gorgeous looks were a big plus. She also had a strong gaze and a similar grip. And of course, who could forget those beautiful blue eyes?

He shook his head. He couldn't have those thoughts.

Not here.

Not now.

He suddenly remembered his class. He blinked and looked back into hundreds of shocked faces. His students were staring at him and giving him strange looks. They wondered why their teacher had just suddenly gone blank and stared into space. This was very weird behavior indeed.

Squall cursed quietly and got up to retrieve his papers. He stood again and cleared his throat.

"Let's see. Where were we?"

The bell, signaling the end of the final class of the day, answered his question. He silently thanked god.

The students, forgetting about their teacher, gathered their things as quickly as they could, and started running over one another to get out the door.

"Remember, review all of what we studied this past week! We will have a test on Monday!" Squall yelled out as the classroom quickly became empty.

He breathed a sigh of relief. Finally, Friday afternoon… He quickly began to gather his papers and stuff them into his briefcase. Slamming his laptop shut, he threw that into his very disorganized briefcase too. Today was Friday, and he had no papers to grade. In his head, he was already planning to take Rinoa out, and try to rid his thoughts of that mysterious blonde once and for all.

The doorbell buzzed loudly in Rinoa's ears. Her eyelids eased opened slowly. Oh no, she had fallen asleep with her dinner in the microwave again. She jumped up from the couch and saved her pasta from exploding just in time. The doorbell rang again.

"Okay! Hold on! I heard you already!"

Rinoa walked over to the door and yanked it open, and as soon as she set her eyes on her hot boyfriend, all signs of crankiness washed away.

"Squall! What a nice surprise! What are you doing here? I thought you had work to do today.

Wasn't it your first day of work?"

He grinned at her and lifted her up and twirled her around. Rinoa became confused. Why was he acting so out of character?

"I decided to take you out to dinner tonight. It's Friday and I don't have any work to do. I thought it would be fun to celebrate out first day of work together."

Rinoa giggled (A/N: typical) at his romantic behavior. She didn't know he could be so sweet!

"Okay, why not?" with that said, she left with him, forgetting completely about the pasta.

Squall whisked Rinoa away to a small Mexican restaurant, her favorite type of food, not to be too fancy. Once there, and after they had ordered their food, the table became silent. Rinoa, being the not-so-bright adolescent she is, began the conversation with:

"So Squall, why are you acting so different today?"

Squall couldn't help but blush. He mentally kicked himself for that. What could he tell her? Should he tell her about the encounter with the woman in the earlier hours that day? Rinoa gave him a weird look; obviously, she had noticed his nervousness.

Thankfully, the food came at that moment. He was so grateful that he was saved more than once that day.

However, while they were eating, Rinoa asked him again.

"Hey, so you never answered my question. What's going on?" He gritted his teeth, bracing himself for what he was about to do.

"Okay Rinoa. I'll tell you, but first, you must promise me you won't overreact."

She was confused, but she promised him anyway.

"Today, in the morning, I had an unexpected encounter with this woman-" she choked on her water.

"You WHAT!" she began to start talking very quickly and you could tell by her voice that she was very pissed off.

"How could you do this to me? No wonder you were being so nice to me! You didn't want to be rough on me! But this is worse than that; humiliated in public! Well, you know what Squall? I don't need you anyways! You're not good enough!" and with that, she began to stand up.

Squall growled, stood up, and yanked her down. He kissed her firmly and demandingly. He felt satisfied as she quit struggling and seemed to melt in his arms. When he let her go, she was dazed, and wasn't as freaked out as before.

"Listen Rinoa, I did not do anything unfaithful to you. I treasure you and I treasure our relationship, and I would never do anything to hurt you like that. I wanted to share this with you to be honest with you, and so we could have a sense of trust with one another. What I was telling you is that this morning, this woman ran into me, and she fell and broke her heel. That's it. I left her with the broken heel to work. That's why I've been acting weird lately. I felt bad all day for leaving her like that, and I didn't want to have any thoughts, so I took you out to eat to forget about this incident and to remain faithful to you," he breathed in deeply, after his speech. (A/N: damn, I never knew Squall could talk so much…)

Rinoa had on a shocked face. She felt incredibly stupid then.

"Was she cute? How did she look?"

He sighed. " No, she was just average. Blonde hair, blue eyes."

Something in Rinoa's mind stirred. "Are you sure she wasn't hot? Blondes are always hot. How'd she wear her hair? What type of clothes did she wear?"

Squall rolled his eyes.

"She had on a bun and she was wearing a uniform. Why?"

Rinoa was silent for a moment.

"She sounds ugly."

* * *

Yay, another chapter down! I already have the next two chapters planned out, but I still need some help. I can't do this by myself! If you haven't noticed, I made Rinoa an idiot, just because it made me feel better. :) I'm sorry if some of you don't like it, but this is a QUALL! If you don't like Qualls, feel free to press the back button. Lol, I'm just playing, I'm don't mean to be mean. ;)

I'll try and put up the next chapter in the next two weeks or so. Don't rush me!


	3. Quistis Unleashes a Beast

Ok, ok, ok! I know it took me forever to update, but, y' know how it is. School ended and I went on two trips in the past two months...  I travel a lot, if you haven't noticed. It's sad, really, as I was looking through my outline of the story, I realized it is pure CRAP! Well, maybe not all of it, but most of it. I really need some ideas to keep this story going, and, who knows? Your idea may end up changing the entire story! So get those thinking caps on and think about some ideas as you read this next chapter. And also, I did realize that Squall's first day of work was a Friday and he is already giving a test on Monday! That is a little mistake, but whatever, just ignore it. :P

Oh, I almost forgot…

Thanks go to all who have reviewed:

Cailin Skylark: Thank you! **blushes** Sorry it took me a long time to update.

SilverMist23: Hey, thanks a lot! Hmmm… I'll think on that idea.

GothicAngelEyes: Take in the fact that if you kill my not very bright character, this story shall end…  Shame on you! I'm just playing around. Anyways, thank you for your thoughts, and I'll see what I can do.

Angel of Apocolypse: **Devours both the chocolate cake and the chocolate chip muffin **Thank you, how did you know I am a chocoholic? LOL! Thank you for your kind words, I feel very proud you feel that way.

Whatever floats your boat: LOL, thanks! I don't exactly hate Rinoa, you see, I just seem to dislike her to some extent! I'm just kidding. I really like her, she's a cool gal, but she will NOT take lil Squallie away from my Quisty! I'm sorry if any of you were offended by the way I portrayed Rinoa, but I just had to make her a little bit… not a genius. Actually, I think this personality makes her…well, loveable **cackle**

Josefiine: Thanks for the review:D I won't make Rinoa a bitch, but I don't want to make her too bright either. I want a dash of humor in there too!

Dacera: Thank yoo! LOL, true, true, but I'm not really too hard on Rinoa… am I? I'm very sorry if the characters act out of character, but it would be so hard to make a real, in-depth Squall in a romance story. I can almost imagine him throwing up just reading it. I mean, when I played FFVIII, I think even Squaresoft made him out of character (if that is possible)!

Kero Chan Fan: Thank you for your somewhat constructive criticism. Tee-hee! I made Squall that way because I wanted him to be secretly afraid of everything he does not understand. When he first looked into Quistis's eyes, he had a feeling he never truly felt before, and he was afraid. That is why he lashed out at her. I hope that helps!

Ok, I guess that's all for my reviews. Now, is my most favoritest part (bleh)!

Disclaimer: I do not own Squaresoft nor do I own Final Fantasy VIII. I own nothing but a copy of the game and the hot poster of Squall in my room! (Yummy:P)

Again, I apologize the story is so late. I mean, now that school is over, I never have a chance to go on since SOME PEOPLE HOG THE FRIGGIN COMPUTER! I mean we never do anything over summer so me, my brother, and even my mom compete for the computer. I mean we have like three computers, but one is strictly my dad's and the other doesn't have Internet access… Lol, I don't mean to be such a pain in the butt.

That is all for now! Now hurry up and read the chapter!

**Chapter Three: Quistis Unleashes a Beast**

"Nope. Never! You will never, ever, make me do that!" Quistis cried with the last of her might. She could feel the last of her strength give way as she collapsed on a hard chair behind the counter.

Business had been slow today, giving her the chance to dust all the shelves and the nooks and crannies as well. Oh joy. Her grumpy boss, Ms. Portman, didn't help either. And now, even as Quistis had finished cleaning and had looked forward to the sweet salvation of sleep, Rinoa had to come up with one of her crazy ideas.

"Oh, PLEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEASE? I will never ask you for anything again! I promise you!" when she got no reply, she gave one last, desperate shot. "Look, if you don't let me, I will never stop asking you. And hey, it could even be fun!"

Quistis heaved a heavy sigh. She knew if she didn't agree with Rinoa, Rinoa would make a vow never to let her forget it.

"Oh all right! But don't expect this to become an everyday thing," Quistis hated giving in to Rinoa's crazy schemes, but going all out trying to nab the 'mysterious stranger' did kind of sound like fun. She shook her head. Rinoa could make her do the weirdest things.

"Thank you so much! We are going to have so much fun tomorrow! I promise you, you will have that man on his knees begging for more by the time I'm through with you!"

Quistis cringed with terror.

"Rinoa? Why am I beginning to regret doing this?"

Quistis looked back at herself through the mirror. She and Rinoa had gone to the most expensive salon they could find. It was also located in one of New York's many malls, which was a big plus. As Rinoa put it "The higher the price, the higher the quality." Quistis had realized all too late that she had unleashed the animal within Rinoa.

"Don't be silly, Quistis! You look great! I'm beginning to think it's that attitude of yours we need to fix!"

Uh-oh… This didn't look so good…

"Not a problem! It's already been fixed!" Quistis eyed her with curiosity.

"Just _how_ has this problem been fixed, Rinoa?" the hair stylist returned and handed Quistis the bill. "I hope you're paying for this."

Rinoa giggled like it was the funniest joke in the world.

"You crack me up, Quistis. I didn't tell you I was paying for it. Nope. I told you I was only going to help you! You're loaded, anyway."

Quistis quieted urge to rip out her hair. She was not about to bite off Rinoa's huge head. No, that would be wrong. Gritting her teeth, she counted very quickly to ten and released her breath.

"Okay. That's fine. It's just peachy," she cleared her throat before turning to the stylist and taking out her wallet.

A few hours later, the pair had attacked a young sales woman in a shop nearby. After trying on dozens of different outfits, Quistis was beat. Rinoa had also joined her in her shopping spree, and together, they had gone wild. Quistis was currently in sugar-high mode and was having so much fun shopping. Was it always this fun?

"Okay, Rinoa" Quistis sighed after they had each finally changed back in their own clothes. "I've let you take over me all morning and now, I'm just ready to go hit the sack."

Rinoa gave such an innocent look of disappointment that Quistis suddenly felt a pang of guilt in her heart.

"Already? But… I just found the perfect outfit for you… Can you at least try one more? Oh, and we haven't even looked for any accessories yet!" Rinoa did the puppy dog eyes thing, which just melted Quistis.

"Wait a minute. Accessories!" Quistis was exasperated. "I probably just spent most of my paycheck on all this clothes and on my hair. Do you want me to go broke?"

Rinoa was quiet for a moment until she gave one of her small smiles.

"At least you'll look good doing it." (A/N: If this were a manga, Quistis would fall down right about now )

"You know what? Fine. Just… Just give me a break, will you? Let's go sit down and chat over some smoothies. That is, if you'll invite me."

Rinoa shook her head and giggled.

"You're such a charmer, Quistis!"

"Of course. Now show me this 'perfect outfit' so we can just get this over with."

Smiling one of her evil smiles, Rinoa brought a heap of clothes into view.

After eyeing the clothes suspiciously, Quistis just had to turn Rinoa down.

"Nope, sorry. Not happening."

"Oh please? Just try it on. I only want to see how it'll look on you."

Sighing, Quistis took the clothes and walked towards the dressing room.

"You forgot something."

Quistis groaned and turned around.

"Shoes make the outift1 Even you should know that, Quistis!"

And with that, Rinoa tossed the strappy stilettos to Qustis.

Walking into the cramped dressing room, Quistis took off her casual clothes consisting of lightweight, beige pants, a black, somewhat fitted, tank, and black boots. It was a bit hot to be wearing boots, but for Quistis, boots were perfect all season long.

After squirming into her new outfit with slight difficulty ('I really need to work out a bit more,' Quistis thought to herself), she walked out of the dressing room comfortably. The clothes weren't all bad, just a bit too tight for her taste. Rinoa gasped happily and clapped with glee. Even the young saleswoman looked impressed.

After glancing in the full-length mirror, even Quistis was amazed. The skintight flare jeans with a brownish tone accentuated her curves wonderfully and the beige tank with cinched sides and loose neckline, which flopped over many times, clinged to her curves nicely.

Quistis was already towering over Rinoa, even without the addition of the tall stilettos, but they made her legs appear slim and longer and even made her calves look muscled.

Her soft hair now had subtle, darker tones to it, the layered waves making Quistis's overall appearance seem almost innocent. (A/N: LOL!)

Rinoa grinned at her masterpiece proudly.

"See? I told you I was good!"

Quistis couldn't help but smile. She actually liked the way she looked, crazy as it may sound. She even had the courage to give her volumous (sp?) hair a shake. It wasn't slutty in any way, but she had to admit, she looked downright sexy.

"Okay, fine. You win. I'll take this outfit also, but only because you're my best friend, okay? I'm doing this for you."

"Whatever. You know you like the way you look," Rinoa rolled her eyes knowingly.

As Quistis made her way back to the dressing room, Rinoa protested with a "Hey!"

"Why don't you wear that outfit right now? Keep your clothes on, at least while we're here. When you get home, you can change. How about it? Let's see what the people have to say," Rinoa couldn't help but push Quistis's buttons even further. "Look, I'll even shut up for a while."

"Okay fine. Just don't ask me to do anything else for today okay?" Quistis demanded rather than asked. She was seriously ready to faint with exhaustion. (A/N: That sounds like a typical day at the mall for me, lol)

"Okay. Deal!"

Sitting in the food court, Quistis and Rinoa talked over fruit smoothies. They had had a tiring day, even though it was hardly past noon- they had been in line waiting for the mall to open earlier. Quistis still wore her outfit Rinoa had chosen. It seemed weird. Not only did Quistis feel light on her feet, but also many hot guys stared at her like she was some ethereal sex goddess. Yup, life was good.

"So, my fashion manager, what is the agenda for the rest of the day?" Quistis asked playfully, but was distracted by a group of hot teenage guys checking her and Rinoa out. Sure, they were young, but no one said it was illegal.

"Let me see… We bought enough clothes, I guess. Oh, we still need to buy accessories."

"Accessories?" Quistis raised an eyebrow.

"Don't give me that look! You know what I mean! Purses, jewelry, belts, hats, sunglasses, you know. An outfit is not complete without at least some accessories. Accessories are a dire ingredient in looking your best! No girl should be without a cute handbag at all times."

"Okay, Rinoa! Don't start getting philosophical on me again," Quistis slurped loudly. They stared at each other for a few moments before cracking up.

"Quistis you act so differently when you're not at work. You're too serious. It scares guys away. You have to act like you do now, but all the time. Guys just love outgoing playmates," Rinoa said very seriously after they had calmed down.

"Playmates!" Quistis couldn't help it. She began to laugh so hard she couldn't stop the smoothie creeping out of her nose.

"Oh my god, Quistis!" Rinoa began to laugh also as they both ran to the nearest bathroom.

Quistis and Rinoa spent the rest of the afternoon browsing and shopping for the oh-so-very important 'accessories'. By mid-afternoon, the two girls were almost literally buried in a mountain of shopping bags. While they were window-shopping on the fourth floor of the mall, Quistis began to panic and push Rinoa inside a maternity shop.

"Hey! What's your problem, Quistis!"

"Shhhh! Be quiet!" Quistis shushed her. Maybe it was the panic in her voice or in her eyes, but Rinoa shut up quickly. But, of course, she could not help her curiosity.

"What is it? What are you so afraid of?"

Rinoa and Quistis struggled for a few moments as Rinoa tried to take a peek and Quistis tried to hide her behind a clothing rack. Eventually, Rinoa won by leaping out of the older woman's grasp, almost knocking over the rack in the process. When Rinoa finally saw what had made Quistis so jumpy, a wave of relevance washed over her.

"Oh… so that's it, huh? So is that the big hunk of yours Quisty? I never knew a guy could make you so jumpy," Rinoa couldn't help but giggle.

Quistis peeked over the clothes and searched for the man that made her heart thump. He had disappeared!

"Actually, I think his friend is much more of a looker," Rinoa was still murmuring to herself.

"Rinoa! You have boyfriend, remember? And anyways, 'he' left already," Quistis scanned the terrain carefully before picking up her dropped bags and ran out of the store. 'Where did he go?' she thought curiously.

Rinoa walked up behind her sighing heavily.

"Am I ever going to see this 'friend' of yours Quisty? The way you describe him, he sounds like a total hunk!"

Quistis gritted her teeth and screamed at herself silently inside her head. She was such an idiot! How could she let infatuation make her act like a lovesick schoolgirl? She had to pull herself together.

"Actually, y'know what? Let's just forget this ever happened," Quistis just wanted to forget he existed, forget about her childish behavior. "I really don't have time for this," she grumbled to herself as she walked away, Rinoa trailing after her like a little puppy.

They walked side by side, silent except for the clatter of their heels on the floor. Of course, Rinoa could not stand silence of any kind, so she chose to ignore what had just happened and began to talk about her boyfriend, Squall.

"What should I get for Squall's birthday?"

"Rinoa, Squall's birthday is in August," Quistis rolled her eyes.

"So? What's your point?"

"Never mind. Let's just go get something to eat. I'm starving."

Again, they went to the food court, but this time they chose to eat McDonalds. After they had stuffed themselves like pigs, they sat in their chairs, relaxing.

"Ahh…" Quistis sighed luxuriously. "This is the good life…"

Rinoa straightened up as she suddenly remembered something.

"Oh, before I forget again, I have a way to fix that attitude of yours, Quistis!"

Quistis groaned. Her sleepy paradise shattered as she opened her eyes and glared at Rinoa.

"Okay, so tell me. Just _how_ are you going to fix this attitude of mine, Rinoa?"

Rinoa grinned evilly. Reaching into a small pocket of her purse, she revealed a small paper with a few words on it and handed it to Quistis. Scribbled on the paper was the name of a nearby college and a list of times. Raising her eyebrow with curiosity, Quistis looked up again at Rinoa.

"What is this?"

"Squall is a teacher at the Balamb College and I managed to get you enrolled you in a few classes of your choice," Rinoa grinned widely like an idiot.

Quistis tried her best not to crumple up the paper and stuff it down the younger woman's throat.

"So how is this supposed to fix my attitude?" Quistis shunned the rage building inside of her. How dare she do something like this without her knowing! Rinoa cocked her head in thought.

"Hmmm… I'm not really sure… But you're smart! You can figure that out for yourself!"

Quistis bit the tip of her tongue lightly to keep from screaming. She could almost feel the steam coming out of her ears. Rinoa, sensing she had struck a nerve, hid behind her diet coke. Pushing her seat away from the table and standing up straight, Quistis gave Rinoa her iciest glare she could possibly manage. Rinoa, being immune to the famous 'Death Glare' after suffering through it countless times, fought back with a sheepish smile.

"Jeez, Quistis! You should try something new once in a while. You need to get outta your comfort zone!" Rinoa countered, followed by changing her expression to one of innocence. "I was only trying to help, Quisty… And anyways, you should do something more productive with your time! All you do every single day is wake up, go to work, and then go back home to sleep. I mean, what kind of a life is that anyways? Quistis? Uh… Stop looking at me like that Quistis!"

While Rinoa was busy giving her small speech, Quistis was silently getting madder and madder. Now she was downright pissed.

"What gives you the right to question my way of life? Y'know what? I don't have to listen to this. I'm leaving!" and with that, Quistis turned on her heel and left.

How will Squall react to Quisty's new look? What will happen when Quistis meets Squall for the first time? How will Rinoa get home now? Will Rinoa and Quistis make up or become enemies? Find out in the next chapter!

I made this chapter xtra long to make up for the long wait and I'll try to have the next chappie up by next week! I know it wasn't much of a cliffhanger or such a good ending, but I wanted to put up the next chapter. I also had such a bad case of writer's block so again I apologize for the long wait… Tune in next week for the continuation of… Forever in My Heart


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